In residential and commercial building construction it is often necessary to connect the base of a toilet to a drain pipe in a secure and watertight manner that meets all plumbing codes applicable in the local jurisdiction. The most common way of achieving this connection is to utilize a so-called closet flange. A typical closet flange is flat and round and includes a pair of semi-circular diametrically opposed key-shaped slots, which allow for the insertion of bolts that are used to tighten the base of the toilet to the flange. Early closet flanges were made of cast iron and were connected to cast iron drain pipes. Modern closet flanges are typically made of ABS or PVC plastic and include a cylindrical body portion that is attached to a drain pipe made of a similar plastic and an attachment flange portion that extends radially from the upper end of the main cylindrical body portion and is bolted to the base of the toilet.
In many instances, such as during repair or remodeling activities, it may become desirable to repair or replace a toilet assembly, which often also requires replacing the associated closet flange. As part of this process, an old or damaged closet flange may be removed from the end of the drain pipe and a new replacement closet flange may be installed. Due to residual components remaining in the end of the drain pipe and/or various other factors, however, the replacement closet flange may resist installation and/or may tend to back out of the drain pipe or otherwise not stay installed in the end of the drain pipe. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a replacement closet flange that facilitates installation in the end of a drain pipe.